Lighthouses of Lithuania

The coast of Lithuania is relatively short, extending south to north about 185 km (115 mi). The southern half of the coast features the northern part of the Curonian Spit (Kuršių Nerija), and behind the spit is the broad and shallow Curonian Sound (Kuršių Marios). The sound empties into the Baltic through a narrow channel at its north end. The country's major port, Klaipėda, is located on this channel.

Most of the Lithuanian coast was under German control from the eighteenth century until 1920, and under German rule Klaipėda was known as Memel. (In the listing, the historical German names of the light stations are placed in curly brackets {}.) Lithuania became independent in 1920, although it was incorporated into the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1990.

Coastal and Klaipėda harbor aids to navigation in Lithuania are regulated by the Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration (Lietuvos Saugios Laivybos Administracija), but since 2001 the actual operation of the lights has been assigned to the Lighthouse and Hydrography Service of the Klaipėda State Seaport. Aids to navigation on the Curonian Sound and Nemunas River system are managed by the Inland Waters Navigation Inspectorate (Valstybinė Vidaus Vandenų Laivybos Inspekcija, or VVVLI). The Lithuanian word for a lighthouse is švyturys.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. LT numbers are from the Lithuanian light list. Light List numbers are from volume C of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 116.

General Sources
Lighthouses of Lithuania
Special thanks to Bronius Sriubas for contributing photos of all seven historic Lithuanian lighthouses.
MSA - Aids to Navigation
Official list of lights, with links to individual pages, many with photos.
Online List of Lights - Lithuania
Photos of navigational aids, many of them by the Maritime Safety Administration, posted by Alex Trabas.
Lighthouses in Lithuania
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Leuchttürme an der litauischen Küste
Photos of Lithuanian lighthouses by Bernd Claußen.
Leuchttürme der ehemaligen deutschen Ostgebiete
Postcard views of historical German lighthouses of the Baltic posted by Klaus Huelse.


Nida Light, Curonian Spit
photo copyright Bronius Sriubas; used by permission
Šilutė District (Curonian Sound East Shore) Lighthouses
* Uostadvaris {Kuwertshof}
1876. Inactive. Approx. 13 m (42 ft) octagonal cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached by a covered passageway to a 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house. The buildings are unpainted red brick; lantern and gallery painted white. Sriubas has contributed a good photo, a closeup photo and a photo taken in the lantern room are available, Lithuanian Wikipedia has a page with a photo, Wikimedia has additional photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the Atmata River, one of the mouths of the Nemunas River, about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Rusne. Site open, tower status unknown. Owner: unknown. Site manager: Nemunas Delta Regional Park (?). ARLHS LIT-007.
** Ventės Ragas (Cape Vente) {Windenburger Eck, Windsburg} (2)
1860 (station established 1837). Active (?); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 13 m (42 ft) octagonal brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached by a covered passageway to a 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house. Buildings are unpainted red brick; lantern and gallery painted white. A photo is at right, a 2009 photo and another recent photo are available, Claußen has a page with several photos, Lithuanian Wikipedia has a page with a photo, Wikimedia has additional photos, and Google has a satellite view. The keeper's house is part of an ornithogical field station and museum, founded in 1929 and well known among birders. Located about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Kintai at the end of the Sturmai peninsula, which projects into the Curonian Sound. Site open, museum open, tower open to visitors but the schedule is not known. Operator: Inland Waters Navigation Inspectorate. Site manager: Nemunas Delta Regional Park. ARLHS LIT-008.

Ventes Ragas Light
Ventės Ragas (Cape Vente) Light, August 2007
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Algėrds

Curonian Spit (Kuršių Nerija) Lighthouses
Note: Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Curonian Spit is 98 km (61 mi) long; the northern 52 km (32 mi) are in Lithuania and the southern 46 m (29 mi) are in Russian Kaliningrad. The Lithuanian section of the spit is organized as the Neringa municipality. The permanent population of Neringa is only about 2500.
*** Nida {Nidden} (2)
1953 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); two white flashes every 5.8 s. 29 m (95 ft) round cylindrical concrete and steel tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal stripes. Fresnel lens (transferred from the 1874 tower) remains in use. Sriubas's photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has MSA's excellent photo, Lithuanian Wikipedia has a page with a current photo and a historic photo, and Google has a good satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view of the original lighthouse, which was heavily damaged during World War II. Although it was patched up after the war, it was decided to replace it with a taller tower. Nida, a popular seaside resort, is on the east side of the Curonian Spit not far north of the Russian border. The lighthouse is located on a hill called Urbo Kalnas west of town, in the center of the peninsula. Accessible by car. Site open; tower open, but information is needed on the schedule. Operator: Klaipėda State Seaport. Site manager: Kuršių Nerija National Park. ARLHS LIT-004; LT-0050; Admiralty C3318; NGA 11984.
Pervalka {Pferdehaken, Perwelk} (2)
1948 (station established 1900). Active; white light, characteristic unknown. 14 m (46 ft) round cast iron tower, painted red; lantern painted white. A photo by Rimantas Lazdynas is at right, Sriubas has contributed a good photo, Lithuanian Wikipedia has a page for the lighthouse, ARLHS has an older photo, and Google has a satellite view. Lighthouse Explorer has Michel Forand's postcard view of the original lighthouse, which was very similar to the present light. Pervalka is a town on the east side of the Curonian Spit, facing the Curonian Sound. The light marks the convergence of three channels, leading respectively north to Klaipėda, southwest to Nida, and southeast to Ventės Ragas on the mainland side of the sound. Located on a small artificial island just off the cape Zirgu Ragas on the north side of town. Accessible only by boat, but there should be excellent views from the mainland. Site and tower closed. Operator: Inland Waters Navigation Inspectorate. Site manager: Kuršių Nerija National Park. ARLHS LIT-005.
* Juodkrantė (Yuodkrante) {Schwartzort}
1950. Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); white light, 3 s on, 5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery but no lantern. Tower painted black, gallery red. The upper third of the tower is covered on all four sides with a white slatted daymark, making it appear like an enclosed lighthouse from a distance. Sriubas has contributed a good photo, and Trabas has MSA's closeup photo, but trees conceal the tower in Bing's satellite view. The resort town of Juodkrantė is about midway in the length of Lithuania's portion of the Curonian Spit, about 35 km (22 mi) south of Klaipėda. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Klaipėda State Seaport. Site manager: Kuršių Nerija National Park. ARLHS LIT-001; LT-0049; Admiralty C3334; NGA 11996.
Pervalka Light
Pervalka Light, Curonian Sound, June 2009
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Rimantas Lazdynas

Klaipėda City Lighthouses
[Klaipėda Šiaurinus Molas {Memel Nordmole} (3?)]
Date unknown (station established 1884). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) post light with a square platform. Post painted black. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, and Google has a satellite view. The red skeletal tower seen in Trabas's photo is probably the previous light. Lighthouse Explorer has Michel Forand's historic postcard view of the original cast iron lighthouse; it was destroyed during World War II. Located on a spur off the north mole at the entrance to Klaipėda. Site status unknown. ARLHS LIT-003; LT-0011; Admiralty C3348; NGA 12016.
* Klaipėda {Memel} Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); quick-flashing white light. 29 m (95 ft) square skeletal tower. The tower has a diamond-shaped slatted daymark, painted white; below that is a long rectangular slatted daymark, painted white with a black vertical stripe. Trabas has MSA's photo, Larry Myhre has a good photo of both range lights, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north bank of the entrance, 260 m (285 yd) in front of the rear lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. LT-0009; Admiralty C3345.9; NGA 12000.
** Klaipėda {Memel} Range Rear (2)
1953 (station established 1796). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 40 m (131 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a 2-story octagonal concrete base. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands; base painted black; lantern and gallery painted red. MSA's photo is at right, Sriubas has contributed a good photo, Wikimedia has a photo, a 2006 photo shows the lighthouse freshly repainted, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is the rear light of a range guiding ships through the narrow entrance between the end of the Curonian Spit and the mainland. Huelse has a postcard view of the original lighthouse, one of the oldest on the German Baltic; it was destroyed late in World War II. Another postcard view shows the old tower with the red and white checkerboard daymark it carried between the two World Wars. Located on the north (mainland) side of the entrance, at the northwestern edge of Klaipėda, a neighborhood called Švyturios because it has the lighthouse (švyturys). Operator: Klaipėda State Seaport. Site open, tower may be open as well but details are not available. ARLHS LIT-002; LT-0010; Admiralty C3346; NGA 12004.
Pagrindinis Šiaurinis Pirminis (Main Northern Leading Light)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 1 s off. 61 m (200 ft) triangular skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has MSA's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in an industrial area about 600 m (0.4 mi) southeast of the Klaipėda Range Rear lighthouse. Site and tower closed, although the tower is easy to see from nearby. LT-0014; Admiralty C3340; NGA 12022.
Klaipėda Winter Harbor South Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); green flash every 4 s. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted green. Trabas has MSA's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the south mole of a harbor basin about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of the Klaipėda Range Rear lighthouse. Site and tower closed, although the tower is easy to see from nearby. LT-0019; Admiralty C3359; NGA 12040.
Klaipeda Light
Klaipėda Light, Klaipėda
Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration photo
Pagrindinis Pietinis (Southern Basin) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); red light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 47 m (154 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red. Trabas has MSA's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 500 m (0.3 mi) north of the entrance to the basin, a dredged harbor about 8 km (5 mi) south southeast of the historic waterfront. Site and tower closed, although the tower is easy to see from nearby. LT-0031; Admiralty C3366.
Pagrindinis Pietinis (Southern Basin) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 73 m (240 ft); red light occulting every 4 s. 68 m (223 ft) square skeletal tower, painted black. Trabas has MSA's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the entrance to the basin. Site and tower closed, although the tower is easy to see from nearby. Admiralty C3366.1.
Malkų Įlankos (Timber Harbor) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); red light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 51 m (167 ft) triangular skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a diamond-shaped slatted daymark. Trabas has MSA's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 1.5 km (1 mi) south of the South Basin entrance. Site and tower closed, although the tower is easy to see from nearby. Admiralty C3369.
Malkų Įlankos (Timber Harbor) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 71 m (233 ft); red light occulting every 3 s. 75 m (246 ft) triangular skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a diamond-shaped slatted daymark. Trabas has MSA's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 1.5 km (1 mi) south of the South Basin entrance. Site and tower closed, although the tower is easy to see from nearby. Admiralty C3369.1.

Palanga City Lighthouse
* Šventoji (Palanga)
1957. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); three long (1.5 s) white flashes every 15 s. 39 m (128 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery; the tower also has slatted daymarks enclosing all four sides of its upper third. Lantern painted red, daymarks red with a white horizontal band. Sriubas has contributed a good photo, Trabas has MSA's excellent photo, Antanas Rudelis has a 2008 photo, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The tower was rebuilt in 2000, and the former wood slats were replaced by metal ones. Located in Šventoji, the northernmost town on the Lithuanian coast, about 8 km (5 mi) south of the Latvian border. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Klaipėda State Seaport. ARLHS LIT-006; LT-0001; Admiralty C3382; NGA 12044.
Sventoji Light
Sventoji Light, Palanga, August 2010
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by CD

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Adjoining pages: North: Latvia | South: Kalinigrad

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Posted April 21, 2005. Checked and revised February 10, 2013. Lighthouses: 14. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.